Woolworths, Bunnings want to launch covid vaccine clinics for customers - NEWS.com.au

Woolworths could offer pop-up sites for the public to get the Covid-19 vaccine as businesses look to step up to help with the jab’s rollout.

The supermarket giant has 35 shopping centres in regional areas and seven large warehouses in outer metropolitan areas and believes it could offer suitable vaccination clinics to the broader public and also for its frontline staff.

Bunnings, which is owned by Wesfarmers, also offered its sites around Australia to get people vaccinated.

Businesses groups including the big four banks, large accounting firms, airlines, telecommunications providers and major supermarkets met with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Wednesday to discuss how they can help with Australia’s vaccine rollout.

Chief executive officers of businesses including Coles, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra and Virgin, Qantas took part.

Mr Frydenberg said companies had offered exciting ideas to help with the logistics of the rollout, along with incentives for vaccinations.

“There were many offers of premises for vaccinations being rolled out,” he said.

“Including from Wesfarmers. That raised the opportunities that could be provided at the local Bunnings or Officeworks.”

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Woolworths group head of Covid Response, Ross Spencer said the company has offered to play a proactive role in the national vaccine rollout to assist federal and state governments.

“As Australia’s largest private employer, we’ve rolled out flu vaccinations to our workforce over many years with specialist health providers. We’d welcome the opportunity to do the same with the Covid vaccine, particularly for our frontline teams providing an essential service to Australian communities,” she said.

“We’re also open to offering up our facilities to governments for public vaccine pop-ups if it’s helpful. We’ll continue to work with governments to see how we can best support the rollout to help keep the pressure off the health system.”

After the meeting Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said big employers have the ability to stand up vaccination programs very quickly and would welcome the opportunity to be able to vaccinate as much of their workforce as quickly as possible.

“Having large employers run vaccination programs would take pressure off government, get a large number of people vaccinated in a short period of time, and bring private sector efficiencies and capabilities into the equation,” she said.

“What is also needed is a public education campaign, fuelled with information from around the world, to help people understand the safety and efficacy of each of the vaccine choices. There are some great examples of innovative public education campaigns in places like France, New Zealand and Singapore.”

There is too much misinformation and misguided fear around vaccination and it is time to fix that, she added.

“People need to understand that the only way to protect themselves and their loved ones is to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” she said.

“Virgin Australia would be happy to support an education campaign which helps to explain the merits, the safety, and the importance of vaccination and helps the Australian community to make a properly informed choice.”

The meeting included Covid-19 Task force boss Lieutenant-General John Frewen.

It comes after state and territory governments flagged a lack of health workers may delay the vaccine rollout as more supplies become available, with 40 million doses of Pfizer set to hit Australian shores in October.

Mr Frydenberg said the vaccine rollout was key to the country’s economic recovery.

“Throughout the pandemic we have partnered with the business community and we are looking to do so again to roll out the vaccine in a safe and efficient manner,” he said.

“As we move our focus from suppression to living with the virus in line with the road map set out by national cabinet, our largest employers will play an important role in supporting Lieutenant General Frewen roll out the vaccine.”

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This could include large workplaces administering the vaccine to their own staff from September.

Mr Frydenberg added the “main purpose of the meeting is to identify the opportunities and barriers to enable business and industry to support and participate in the vaccine rollout to get as many Australians vaccinated.”

Lieutenant Frewen said partnering with businesses could mean Australian workers would be able to receive the vaccine in the office by September.

“Around September and October, when we have greater access to the vaccines, that’s when workplace vaccination can open up,” he said.

“It takes burden off both the primary healthcare system and some of the state mechanisms.

Many of these industries already do anti-flu vaccinations.”

But Innes Willox, chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, said for this to happen the Commonwealth would have to provide the same indemnity against adverse reactions being extended to pharmaceutical companies, doctors and individuals.

“This would free businesses to be more active proponents of vaccinations and it would clear the way for workplace-based vaccinations along the lines of the flu vaccine program,” he said.

The main limiter to at-work vaccination would be vaccine availability, admitted Lieutenant Frewen.

He said states would decide who would be allowed to administer vaccines at work, and Pfizer would be the vaccine of choice.

However, Australians were assured that only “appropriately qualified people” would be permitted to administer the vaccines.

Figures show just over 8.4 million vaccines have been administered across Australia, while 1.94 million people – 9.4 per cent of the eligible population – are now fully vaccinated.

Woolworths is one employer which is providing up to eight hours of paid Covid-19 vaccination leave – offered in two four hour slots. The leave is for full-time and part-time team members who must receive their vaccination during a rostered shift and can't secure a vaccination appointment outside of their working hours.

A second meeting with Australia’s most powerful business leaders will be held in a fortnight after a new draft national vaccination plan will be shared with states and territories.

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2021-07-07 03:33:45Z
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